282 ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS. 



feasibility of a steamer reaching, with comparative ease, a somewhat 

 advanced position along - the western shores of that land. I do not 

 think it probable, from Payers account of the state and condition of 

 the ice in Austria Sound, and from the absence of all harbors, that that 

 inlet would lend itself to successful navigation for a ship to any great 

 distance, although perhaps well adapted for exploration by means of 

 sledges; but I do not think that a well-found steamer, competently 

 commanded and efficiently equipped, would, without very much diffi- 

 culty, succeed in crossing the threshold of the unknown region along 

 the western side of Franz Josef Land, where a snug and sheltered posi- 

 tion could be found, in which she might be secured for the winter, 

 whence traveling parties could be dispatched for further exploration, 

 resulting in the certainty of the accomplishment of good, useful, and 

 important work. 



On the whole, then, I am strongly in favor of Franz Josef Land as 

 the base for future operations, for it seems to me that in this direction 

 there are better prospects of pushing into the unknown area. It gives 

 promise of yielding the most abundant harvest in the various fields of 

 science, while, with proper precautions, absolute safety to the explorers 

 can be assured. These are, of course, reasons of the greatest impor- 

 tance when the question of the be stroutefor polar exploration is under 

 discussion, and I am confident they will be found to outweigh all other 

 advantages that are likely to be considered in favor of other routes. 



At the present moment our thoughts, not unnaturally, are directed to 

 this particular portion of the Arctic regions, by the remembrance that 

 it is only twelve months ago that an English expedition, under the 

 leadership of Mr. Jackson, but organized and equipped under the 

 supervision, and entirely at the expense, of Mr. Harmsworth, sailed 

 from our shores in the little steamer Windward with the object of 

 exploring Franz Josef Land and, if possible, the regions beyond. We 

 are still ignorant as to the progress that has been made by Mr. Jackson, 

 for no tidings have been received of him and his brave companions 

 since they bade farewell to civilization a year ago and steamed away 

 toward the north. They have selected the right direction in which to 

 proceed, and I look forward with confidence to hearing, in a very short 

 time, that they have succeeded in penetrating into the unknown area, 

 and are doing good and useful geographical as well as other scientific 

 work. They have our best and heartiest wishes for a successful issue 

 to their undertaking, and a happy return to their friends when their 

 work is accomplished. Geographers owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. 

 Harmsworth for initiating, and for having so generously and so patri- 

 otically provided the means for defraying the cost of this expedition. 



With regard to what I may call the region to the east of Novaya 

 Zemlya, no one has done more to advance geographical science in this 

 direction than that distinguished Swedish Arctic explorer, Baron Nbrd- 

 enskiold. He, by dint of several expeditions that he made to Spitz- 



